Hyperlocal influencers: How local influencers can generate real brand engagement

By Guest Contributor

14 Mar 2018

A guest blog post written by Sammy Sadler from O PR

The digital world now plays a huge role in our daily lives. We are exposed to a constant stream of information across various platforms from social media to breaking news updates delivered straight to our mobile phones.

The marketing industry had no choice but to embrace the changes that digital media has brought and in 2017 digital advertising spend took 41% of the overall market with a massive $209 billion spent worldwide.

There are now endless possibilities in marketing for creating engaging content for your client beyond the traditional advertising model. A robust social media strategy is crucial in building an online presence, video can be created instantly through a smartphone and a career in blogging is the new normal.

One key aspect that digital has brought to our attention is a noticeable rise in influencer marketing. This isn’t necessarily a new concept – for years brands have been signing up celebrities to advertise their products across print, online and broadcast platforms. Whether that’s an international A-lister or an upcoming reality TV star, we are regularly exposed to recognisable faces promoting every product imaginable.

However, it isn’t celebrity influencers that are dominating the marketing spotlight. Say hello to the ‘micro-influencer’.

With a following of less than 100,000 people, although some brands actively work with individuals from when they hit their 1,000 follower, a micro-influencer uses platforms such as Instagram, YouTube or a written blog to share their interests with the world. Having a smaller yet more-focused following means that a micro-influencer can achieve engagement rates 60% higher than those with a huge following.

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One branch of micro-influencer making waves in the industry are called ‘hyperlocal influencers’. Also boasting high engagement and reach figures, a hyperlocal influencer typically bases the majority of their content around their city or region. With interests ranging across a whole range of sectors including food, travel, interior design and fashion, hyperlocal influencers tend to attract a local audience, as well as followers from further afield, who have an interest in their area.

Hyperlocal influencers can offer a whole range of additional assets to a marketing campaign, from written content to vlogs, Instagram posts and Snapchat stories. When looking to attract an audience in a particular area, a local influencer who is trusted and passionate about the area can be beneficial in communicating a brand message.

At O we have a network of UK hyperlocal influencers that enjoying working with both local and national brands. We know that they can deliver exciting creative content, that they will be honest and they’ll engage with their audience regularly.

We have integrated these influencers across many client campaigns, whether that is encouraging them to get involved with a campaign on social media or creating their own style of unique content to promote a product. We’ve used targeted product seeding to promote new lines before they’ve even hit the shelves, sent out exciting shareable press packs and held exclusive blogger and media events in key venues.

Although hyperlocal influencers can be difficult to find, if you don’t have established networks, the engagement benefits alone prove that this is an effective way to reach a specific target audience. When we surveyed our network of UK influencers, 100% felt that bigger brands should look to work with regional bloggers more. You can read more about the survey results and our tips for working with hyperlocal influencers here.